“Notebook” kept by Richard M. Scott, Jr. and his wife, Virginia Gunnell Scott, for the “Bush Hill Plantation,” 1856-1859, continued in use as a “Guestbook” for “Bush Hill” from 1919-1941, by its new owners Leonard Coleman Gunnell and Emily Nelson Gunnell, 1856 January-1859 September and 1919-1941

This volume completes the diary of Richard M. Scott, Jr. describing the sudden progress of his lung disease and trips to Cuba and the Red Sulphur Springs in Monroe County for relief, up to his death on November 13, 1856. His wife vows to continue the diary for her children's sake. Virginia writes about financial struggles and decisions that are hers as a new widow, sales of slaves that caused her "difficulties" including Margaret (April 25-May 4, 1857), the girl, May (May 3, 1859) and West (July 14, 1859); having a portrait of her husband made from a daguerreotype and sitting for her own portrait (May 14-29, 1857).

She continues to mention her financial difficulties (February 20 and April 3, 1858) since the death of her husband and her hopes for administrative help from her brother, James; notes her brother, Frank, who is going out in the "USS Frigate Niagara" to assist in the laying of the Atlantic Cable between coast of Ireland and Newfoundland (March 5-August 26, 1858); her brother, James, assisting Virginia in arranging slave hires, getting the manumission papers at Fairfax Courthouse for John Allen, who was freed under the will of her husband, and the sale of Letty in Richmond (January 1-18, 1859); the sale of the St. Marysville farm in Stafford to Mr. Hooe (January 27, 1859) and the Waterloo farm to William Hughes (June 2, 1859); an her brother, Frank, ordered to the Gulf of Mexico upon the steamer "Fulton" (July 13, 1859).